A Little More than just Tortilla Soup

So much has happened in the last week! Which is why I haven’t been posting as much lately… but that will all change… meaning – I will be posting more on a regular basis again.

I started off last week with a presentation to my Lean In group, at my old job, on how to face your fears (whether is it with your personal life or at work), and to take the opportunity to Lean In. The presentation I did was one of the more nerve wracking things I’ve had to do in my career. I am really happy I did it… but I am also thankful it’s over with. Right after that I got sick. Soar throat… stuffy nose… a little cough. Luckily, I wasn’t sick for too long and I was healthy again by the end of the week. Friday night I went to the FAAS third annual After The Ball fundraiser – which was fantastic. Great company and wonderful wines (of course)

Saturday was a super special day for me. Not only was this the weekend in between my last and new job… but I had a one on one with none other than the wonderful Joyce Goldstein. We sat in her living room… had some cappuccino and pastries and talked about food and what advice she has for me for my future. It was dreamy and made me feel so inspired. I have a new future and I feel fantastic right now. That evening was also extremely inspiring and FUN! Chef MikeC and Mark Dessert came over to make dinner with Mike and I. We had a blast. We braised some rabbit with white wine, grain mustard and fresh thyme. Chef MikeC and Mark Dessert made some garlic confit mashed potatoes and a fresh corn, radish salad with a simple vinaigrette. My stomach and soul were warmed and content. I couldn’t have been happier.

I leave you today with one of my favorite cold weather recipes… now that fall is upon us. I learned this back in college and it has always been a staple in my life.

Ingredients

1 onion – chopped
5 cloves of garlic – minced
1 jalapeño
2 ears of fresh corn (white or yellow) – cut off of cobs, but save the cobs for later!
2-3 chicken thighs or 2 breasts – cut into cubes or shredded
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
2 cans of black beans – drained
2 cans of pinto beans – drained
3-4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (depending on how soupy you like it. I prefer mine more like a stew)
Salt and Pepper
4 TBSP Olive Oil

Garnish
Handful of cilantro – chopped
1 package of cheddar cheese
Sour cream or plain greek yogurt
Tortilla chips

Salt and pepper the chicken and then brown the chicken in the bottom of a pot with some olive oil. Cook through and lightly browned. You might need to cook the chicken in separate batches to brown it properly. Once cooked, take out the chicken and put it in a separate bowl. Sauté the onion, garlic and jalapeño in the same pot with a little more olive oil and salt. Cook until fragrant and golden brown – about 8 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pot along with the can of tomatoes, pinto beans, black beans, corn AND the 2 corn cobs. Do a quick stir – then add the stock to the pot. Stir again. Adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

You can serve this soup multiple ways. I like to serve my soup with a dollop of sour cream, a handful of cheese, and a big crumble of tortilla chips on top with some cilantro. I don’t make my bowl that soupy – but you can add more of the broth to your bowl if you want. I have also had this soup with out the garnishes and it is also fantastic. This makes SO MUCH SOUP! But it keeps nicely and you can always freeze it for a quick weekday meal down the road.

I hope you enjoy this. I love this soup and I hope you do too.

Thank you for your support!!